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Staff Report October 18, 2016SportsComments Off on NHRA Champions Brown, Schumacher to Visit Western Technical College Wednesday

El Pasoans are invited to join NHRA champion drivers Antron Brown and Tony Schumacher alongside students from El Paso’s Western Technical College’s annual Motorsports Day on Wednesday, October 19th.

The dynamic pair from Don Schumacher Racing, who have combined to win 10 NHRA championships and 142 races, will spend the morning with three groups of WTC students. Brown’s Matco Tools dragster and Schumacher’s U.S. Army dragster also will be on display.

“I love doing these school visits with Matco Tools,” Brown said. “And it will be great to have Tony join me in El Paso this year. I’ve been coming to Western Tech since 2009 and Tony and I have done many (Army) Y.E.S. Programs together on Friday mornings at the NHRA races. Being near Ft. Bliss is a perfect fit for Tony to join me at Motorsports Day this year.

“I have been in the same position as these students when I was in school at Mercer College in New Jersey in the ’90s. Having the opportunity to give back and speak to them about their future and their career paths is something I enjoy. It’s great to share what I’ve learned and talk about key qualities to being successful in life like being prepared and having integrity.”

The champion duo will be at the 9624 Plaza Circle campus from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. speaking to three groups of WTC students who also will have the opportunity to get an up-close look at the 11,000-horsepower machines that Brown and Schumacher pilot. Other DSR partners including MSD and Lincoln Electric will be part of the festive day.

In 2013, two students from Western Technical College joined DSR for the three-week “Western Swing” as working interns. Since then, DSR has hosted 36 WTC students as crew members for its eight race teams and six welding students in the team’s Brownsburg, Ind.- based fabrication shop.

Allan Sharpe, President of Western Tech says, “Our partnership with Don Schumacher Racing continues to grow and evolve giving WTC graduates a once in a lifetime opportunity to work on drag racing’s No. 1 premier nitro Funny Car and Top Fuel Dragsters teams. It is a huge compliment that Western Tech was chosen by DSR to be the Official Technical College of Don Schumacher Racing.”

Brown, the defending and two-time series champion, currently leads the NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel standings with a category-best six wins this season as he guns for a third NHRA crown. Schumacher, who lives in Austin and is known as “the Sarge,” looks to cap a banner season in which he scored a record 10th U.S. Nationals win.

The drivers will visit WTC three days after completing the AAA of Texas NHRA Nationals, Oct. 14-16, near Dallas.

WHO: Antron Brown and Tony Schumacher, NHRA Top Fuel drivers

WHAT: Free to the Public: The multiple-time NHRA champion drivers will visit Western Technical College. The Matco Tools and U.S. Army dragster also will be on display.